Across the Universe
by Xaphrin
Summary: After the destruction of the mirror Midna fails to return to Twilight. Instead she is forced into other worlds, where she encounters a version of Link. In order to return home she must convince not only him, but herself as well, that they are in love.
1. Prologue

**Across the Universe**

**_This Has Nothing To Do With The Movie_**

_Prologue_

The books that lined the library walls hushed the sharp noises from the outside world. Zelda looked around carefully, knowing it was best to look for speaking walls before entering a room. It appeared her only companions were the tiny stars outside her window. She smiled softly, and sat down at her desk, covered in old letters and the gentle glow from a single candle.

The past weeks had been hard on Zelda's aged body. After nearly fifty years on the throne, she decided it was time for her to step down as queen and let her eldest son and his wife rule. She was completely content with the decision. Life had treated her well, giving her a prosperous kingdom, a loving husband – Goddesses rest his soul, and two beautiful children and five grandchildren. But her story was coming to an end soon.

"Mother?"

Zelda looked up as her son poked his head into the room. She smiled and waved him in. "Link…" Her smile brightened as he sat in front of her. "Are you ready for your coronation tomorrow?" She knew that was a silly question, no one was every _ready_ to take on the duties of a kingdom. But her son was strong, and she knew he would rule well.

"I hope so. Lanna's up-in-arms about it, but I suppose that's normal…" He paused as he looked at all the letters on the desk. They were all sealed with the same, green wax and crest. It wasn't the crest of his family, but the crest of the Chosen Hero. For years his mother had received these letters, and Link often wondered how his father felt about it.

"You can read them, if you want, Link." Zelda had stood up and was looking out the window at the stars. "I know they interest you." She turned back to him and smiled.

"Mother… did father know?" His face turned bright red, and the Queen laughed slightly. She pushed her son's dark brown hair out of his eyes and shook her head, still smiling.

"Do not worry. I loved your father very much, Link. But these letters are from my friend… In fact, he's the same Chosen Hero you were named after." She picked up a letter from the bottom of the stack; this one wasn't sealed with green, but a strange, black wax. The parchment it was written on even felt funny, as though it were made out of fine linen. She handed it to him. "Read it if you want to… this is the letter that started the rest of them."

Link opened the pages to the neat, beautiful calligraphy, and began to read.

_Zelda – _

_I hope this letter gets to you. This world is strange and I'm worried things will not end well for me. No, I did not make it into Twilight. I do not know what happened, but the story that follows is the truth. You must believe me. Please… please… I need to find Link._

_I love him and without him I'm not sure I will ever find my place in any world again._

Link looked up at his mother, a look of question in his eyes. Zelda smiled and took the letter back, deciding it was best he didn't read the rest of the very long letter. He needed to get sleep after all. The stacks of letters seemed endless, but nothing is infinite.

"I received my last letter a few days ago…" She wasn't quite sure why she was telling her son this. Perhaps she wanted him to hear the news and commiserate with her. "The woman who wrote this has died, and my friend, who sent me all these letters over the years, will soon follow her." She felt comfort in the sadness in her son's eyes. "Do not worry, Link. It will be peaceful. His body cannot live without the heart he left with her."

She picked up the newest letter, written in childish scrawl and stained with tears. Zelda felt her heart tense and rise into her throat. There were only a few lines.

_I thought I should tell you soon. She left peacefully last night and her burial will be tomorrow. I know you cannot come, but I know you will be here in spirit. Thank you for all that you've done._

That was it. When Zelda read the news she nearly fell to the floor from weeping so hard. Life had to end sometime, but their love had been so powerful and strong, that age seemed to be nothing more than a fleeting thought. Midna's death had shook Zelda to the very center of her soul, and she knew that their amazing story had to be told to the world. Tonight, she resolved to put their words down, so all the world will know the strength and power of true love.

"I can help, mother…" Link said softly. "I know you must want to write it all down."

She smiled and patted his hand. "Thank you, Link. But this is something I need to do myself. I need to see every detail is left intact." Zelda looked at the moon again before looking her son in his eyes. "You go to bed, and I will see you in the morning."

He started for the door, but paused when he reached the light. "Let me know if you need me…" Link looked back at her, and she smiled softly.

"I will." The silence that followed seemed almost unbearable. Zelda had spent most of her life with people, and being alone still frightened her sometimes. But the solitude was what she needed to explain the fantastic story written in front of her. Zelda knew Link was nearing death as she sat at her desk, she knew his heart would be unable to find the strength to stay in the world without her by his side. It saddened her, but she knew that they would meet again.

_… I know you're worried, but she will be strong. I'll find her. She'll find me._

Zelda took a deep breath as she stared at an older letter. It would be a task, but she promised herself and the legacy of Midna to bring them together. She picked up her quill and began to write:

_All events in this account are true. Though fantastic, they speak the amazing words of love, determination, and faith. It all began the moment the fight between Ganondorf and The Chosen Hero, Sir Link ended…_

"No!"

It was the first word Zelda had heard Link since she called him on this quest. She jumped and turned toward the husky sound. The sudden tension of loss spidered through the air and choked Zelda's heart. His hands reached out for the beautiful princess that slipped through the mirror, she glanced back at him as the mirror shattered with her in it.

"Midna!"

Zelda paused, her quill placed precariously above the parchment. That wasn't right. Link had very little to do with the wonders that followed the destruction of the mirror. Hylian Link simply fed his emotions, his desires, his dreams across the universe. Midna's story was the fantastic one. Zelda chewed on her lip for a moment before trying again.

The Mirror had shattered, that fact was certain. Midna had heard the tinkling of glass on a stone floor. She heard the painful, blunt sob from a heart she loved. It was the end of her relationship with him. She couldn't hold on to a love that didn't exist; couldn't exist. She knew that her heart would always lay with her people.

She took a deep breath and moved into the darkness in the space between Light and Twilight. It felt heavier now. As if it shifted and moved around her. Eddies of a strange wind swirled around her ankles; something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong…

"NANA!! Tetra won't give me my wooden sword!"

"He took my doll!"

Zelda sighed and looked at the parchment on the desk. Another day…

_AN: This insane little piece of story was a dream I had. Although Zelda and Link and Midna weren't in it. But it was the best story I think I've ever heard? Watched? I don't know. Anyway, the next chapter will be better, I promise._

_WOOHOO! 50 stories published and only half of them finished. There's something wrong with me._


	2. Pygmalion Part One

**Across the Universe**

_Chapter One:_

_Pygmalion – Part One_

)O(

Link couldn't sleep that night. His wife, Lanna, however, was snoring loudly beside him. He smiled slightly and shook his head, rubbing her swollen belly. His third daughter was on the way, and just after his coronation… it seemed as though everything felt correct; it its proper place. The country was safe and he was to be king, he had a loving wife and children, even the weather was going to be nice tomorrow…

…but…

Link looked out at the moon, a habit he had captured from his mother. "What about Midna? What about Sir Link?"

Link knew very little of Midna and Link, in fact Sir Link had only come to visit once in a great while. At his birth and the birth of his brothers and sister, and at his father's funeral; even then he didn't stay long, and there was never anyone with him. But the story his mother began to tell swam around in his mind until colors mixed with words and a fascinating mystery began to unravel before him.

"This is so silly… I should let it go." Link rubbed his forehead slightly. "This is a man I've never met in my life before, and, for some reason, I am drawn to this story that my mother says is fantastical." He sighed and looked down at Lanna again, hoping to find some solace in her. She simply snored up at him.

Link sat there thinking for a few more moments before he stood up. "I'll read the stupid letters… maybe then this will all make sense and I can go to bed." He slipped out into the hall silently and started toward the library. He knew where his mother kept the letters, but what order they would be in was an entirely different matter. Sweet and gentle his mother was; organized, she was not.

When Link pushed the heavy door open, he saw that the candle had been left burning, and there was little more than a stub left, flickering precariously in front of the drafty window. The letters had been left out, mish-mashed all together in strange ways. It looked as though his mother had been looking for something in particular and hadn't found it. Link sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Thank goodness he didn't inherit her gene for cleanliness.

He sat down and began sifting through the letters, putting them in order, and looking for the "letter that started it all". He moved around the desk until he saw that same, strange black seal. It glittered slightly, but looked worn and aged. Link bit his lip slightly and wondered, not for the first time, what _exactly_ he was getting into. This was his mother's story, her testament to the love these people had.

But still…

Something told him he should read it. Something in his heart wanted to know this whole story, the one that his mother held so close to her heart. Picking up the parchment he began to read:

_When I arrived… that's not quite right. I wasn't planning on going anywhere other than Twilight…_

It was still dark. That was the first thing Midna noticed. The second thing she realized was that it was impossibly small. On every side of her she felt some kind of wall pressing into her elbows. She tried to turn slightly, but it felt as though her hands were tied, and a strange, grassy substance rubbed her body raw. She again tried to turn her face away, but her head seemed to be bound tight as well.

'Where… am I?'

Her heart felt as thought it were beating war drums in her slender chest. Where _exactly _had she ended up? What happened? The darkness in the mirror hadn't sent her home, she had been aware of that almost immediately. But if it hadn't sent her to Twilight… then where had it sent her?

What had happened to her?

The dark space shifted and banged loudly. Midna tried to cry out, to let someone know she was there, but no sound erupted from her lips. She tried to move, but the box shifted again, and this time the noise was louder.

"'Eay! Eay!" A rough, accented voice called out. The moving stopped and Midna began to fear the worst: that she was trapped inside a box. Her heart beat faster and harder. "That stupid thing's valuable. If you break it, your ass will be mounted on the wall in its place." There was shuffling around the dark space and Midna suddenly wished she could shrink into it; become invisible. But something told her she was going to see what was beyond the darkness real soon. And an even more menacing feeling was what _exactly _was beyond the darkness.

"Alright. Open her up. We gotta get this damn thing up before nine when those stupid art-freaks from NYU come over." There was a loud popping noise from Midna's left ear. Every normal sense in her body was telling her to run, but she was cemented on the spot; stuck in a place where she could no longer control either herself or the world around her.

She swallowed hard and tried to make a noise. Someone _had _to know that she was stuck in there? Didn't they? Couldn't they feel her heart beating through the floor? POP. Midna tried to shift again; make any kind of movement. Nothing. No one seemed to know she was there. What… what was going to happen to her?

"I hate it when those stupid kids come in, poking around at 'art's great mysteries'. It's such bullshit." POP. "What do people see in this old junk anyway? Bunch of dirt." POP. "Why can't we have that Venus thing… now _she's_ a looker." POP. "And you can see her titties an' everything." POP. "That should be the last one." There was a thunder in her ears and a scraping above her head. Midna could only lay there and wait for the unknown that lay beyond the box.

A sudden and intense whiteness flooded into her darkness and blinded her until the pain forced her to try and look away, but she couldn't. She felt her body being moved, being slip around the tiny box until she, like a strange bastard child, burst forth from her dark womb and into the world.

Midna stared into the light around her, feeling calloused hands on her small, perfect waist. She finally began to make out dark shadows of people above her; the people moving her around the severely bright room. There was grunting and Midna was righted on her feet, just in time to look down at a several unshaven and unclean faces. She swallowed hard.

They were neither Hylian nor Twili. What _were_ they?

One of the men began to approach her carefully, winding strange wires around her feet. "We've gotta get the curator in here so he can set this code, Although I don't know how or _why_ anyone would steal this stupid thing." He paused and looked at the clock. "We gotta move it, doors open in half an hour!" The man continued to poke her skin with all kinds of strange, metal objects. Midna tried to grumble, but nothing came out.

"She's not _that_ bad." Another voice said. Midna looked down at the voice. He was the dirtiest of the bunch. "But you can't see her titties."

'I should think not!' Midna growled and wanted to reach her hands out to grab and shake him silly, but she _still_ couldn't move. What had these people done to her? Had they concocted some sort of horrible experiment to imprison her paralyzed, forever? She felt the tears come to her eyes, but there was no release. Taking a deep breath she tried to push the overwhelming sense of fear back into her heart. Anger subsided into shock, and then into a sense of utter, and complete hopelessness. How could she leave this place if she could not move?

Midna decided to look around the room for the owner of the place. There were several dirty men, one impossibly clean man in a suit pressing buttons on the floor, and then… and then there was banner. A huge banner hung from the ceiling. Midna's heart pounded out a rhythm she wasn't familiar with; a rhythm of confusion, of despair, of fright. The picture on the banner was a strange one, it was a picture of her…

…as a statue.

'I'm… solid stone…' Midna's throat swelled up with a sudden and uncomfortable pain.

What was this? What had _she_ done to offend the goddesses so severely that they would imprison her in this tomb? What? She tried to let the tears fall, but nothing seemed to change. After all how could a statue cry?

"Doors are open!"

"We're not ready, dumbass!"

"Well, _get_ ready! Those art-freaks from NYU are here! I'm sure they're just _itching_ to get to this stupid old thing."

Midna's consciousness retreated, and in her entombed mind, she wept hard. It seemed the only thing she could do. If she was stuck in this wretched world forever… well… she wasn't quite sure what _would_ happen to her. It seemed hopeless. Nothing would change if she couldn't. She would be stuck…_here_ without Link or Zelda forever. Her heart ached as though someone had stabbed it hard.

How could she have made such a rash decision? She had always assumed that dark and light could never mix; that she was to rule her world and her friends were to rule theirs. But by destroying the mirror, perhaps she had made mistake. Perhaps it was destiny that dark and light be reunited as one again? Was it the Goddesses ultimate plan?

Midna felt her heart sink as she thought about it. If the Goddesses plan was to bring the two different worlds together, then what had she exactly done by destroying the mirror? 'Link… how I wished I could have told you… how I wished I could have let you know the truth…' She sighed inside her mind and looked up at the lights raining down on her. 'Goddesses, please grant me the strength I need to do this. Help me find my way home… back to Link.'

_At least you realize your home is with Link…_ the voice inside her mind was soft and sweet, but shocking. Midna retreated further into her soul as she searched for the voice. _I am deep inside you, Princess Midna. I am inside everyone and everything._

'The Great Goddess?'

_If that is your name for me. I am called many things. _There was a pause and Midna felt as though a gentle hand was placed on her heart. _You did something terrible Midna… you destroyed the Mirror. The Mirror was broken long ago, because it was _your_ destiny to bring light and dark back together._ The voice paused and the soft feeling retreated from her heart. _Separation only leads to misjudgments, which only lead to hatred and war. _

'But,' Midna thought about the curse of her people and the terrible brunt that had born for so many years. 'You placed us there… you made us different then the Hylians.'

The voice laughed. _It was never to be permanent. It was like a child being put into "time out" for being naughty. The world you and your ancestors have created is a world of peace; of prosperity. A world that deserves to exist alongside the Hylians. _The feeling inside Midna 

changed suddenly, and she felt the powerful onslaught of tears. She had destroyed the one thing she needed to exist; the one thing her world needed to survive its fate.

How could she have been so selfish?

_You know where your heart lies; with _whom_ your heart lies._ The voice smiled and placed her hand on heart again. _That is your punishment… you must find your own way back to the heart you lost… the heart you need to survive._ With that, the presence was gone, retreating back into the bottom of her soul.

The sound of chatter and footsteps forced Midna to pull herself from her silent misery and look down below her. Young adults, close to her own age she surmised, began filtering into the room. They talked to one another, talked to the strange, clean cut man she had seen before, and talked to an older, more obscure looking, woman whose hair stuck out in every direction. They were all carrying pencils and papers and were looking up at her with confused expressions. Some of them were uncomfortably close and staring at her as though… as though she were nothing more than a thing. Midna forced her tears back again; crying would solve nothing.

"Alright class!" The older woman with the hair that stuck out in every direction spoke up. Silence fell in every direction and they all turned their faces to her. "My friend, Mr. Collins the museum's curator, has allowed up to be the first set of eyes to fall on this _beautiful_ statue." She paused and pushed her purple glasses back onto her nose. "Now, before we start, Mr. Collins is going to tell us a little bit about her."

The clean cut man stepped forward and smiled brightly. "We call her _Midna_."

'Well, at least he got my name right…'

"We believe she was made around the time ancient Sumer was a thriving country. Now, to remind you, Sumer was in the area of Iraq now. They were a great nation with laws, with architecture, and art and poetry, and even their own writing." Pause. "Now, we've found pieces of Sumerian art before, but nothing that was ever this intact, and nothing that ever had this level of detail. In fact the detail is so exquisite that we almost mistook her for a piece of Grecian art."

One of the, what Midna _assumed_ were students, raised her hand. "How old is she?"

"We believe her to be about six thousand years old." He looked around the mob. "Any other questions?"

The door suddenly banged open and a boy came running inside. Midna looked at him with mild question. 'Late are we?' she thought, glad to be distracted by something other than her own misfortune. He seemed impossibly average; average height, weight, average… looks? The boy pulled down his hood and shook off his wet hair. _Blonde_ hair. The same color as sun-drenched wheat in an Ordon field.

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Jansen." He dropped his bag to the floor as Midna's heart leapt back to life within her chest. The same sound of huskiness; of woods and adventure; of a big heart and kind soul; of loyalty and honor. Of…

"I missed the subway." He pulled out his own paper and pencils and looked up at the statue, a look of slight awe and surprise whipping across his impossibly blue eyes.

… Link.

_AN: When I said this story was based off a peculiar dream I had, I wasn't lying. It was bizarre, to say the least. In any case, now it's a fan-fiction. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, switching between the past and present. I hope you're having fun reading it, just wait until next chapter. _

_Also, although I hope this story doesn't go missing for awhile a few things have come to my attention:_

_1- I graduate college next month, so I'm not quite sure how much time I'll have to write._

_2 - I lose Word in about five days, and I have no money to go buy it. (well, I have word 2000, but I had to install that trial word 2007 for my online class, except when I instaled it, it destroyed my version of word 2000 and I lost the hard copy... which basically translates to "I'm screwed")_

_The end of my woes has come to this. If you're free you're more than welcome to review, if not... well, I don't hold it against you._


	3. Pygmalion Part Two

**Across the Universe**

_Chapter Two – Pygmalion (Part Two)_

Midna stared down at the eyes she grew to love. The blue of the seas just after a storm; the soft, silky hair that fell gently over his eyes; it seemed suddenly unreal to her. A dream. A painful, mocking dream. She closed her vision and retreated deep into her soul, trying to calm the torment she held within. He couldn't exist here, could he? Did he?

'How…' She thought, feeling tears start to drown her heart. 'How? How can he be here?'

_Worlds within worlds…_ the voice returned with a smiling tone, as if it knew the sudden importance of the situation and found it amusing. _What if your entire universe was simply a speck in the world of another? It's an interesting thought… don't you think?_ There was a long pause as Midna continued to watch the young man look up at her with a look of complete awe. He was watching her as if he knew who and what she was, and wanted to help her.

'Please, Link… remember me…'

There was a feeling of sweet amusement in her chest again. _Only you can make him know who you are, Midna. That is your quest._

'But _how_ am I to figure it out when I'm trapped inside stone?' Midna wanted to glare, but her face would only show a look of complete pleasantness. How absolutely revolting.

_You need to discover that by your self. Your heart will find a way to his own, I'm sure of it…_ The presence retreated again, this time rather abruptly, and Midna again felt bereft. How long had she been in someone else's company? How often was it that she was without someone to talk to? Now, standing here in a coffin made of stone, she was utterly alone. Trapped inside an invisible case only watching, never speaking.

Not for the first time that day, she felt the tears rip up through her heart and into her throat. And deep inside the slumbering stone, she wept.

"Mr. Link?"

He started slightly and looked over at the woman with crazy hair, feeling suddenly ashamed at his behavior. She was beautiful as a piece of art, _not_ as a being. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jansen… I was just… admiring her." He raked his hands through his hair, as though he were in complete distress.

"Well, I'm glad you think she's beautiful…" The woman sighed and shook her head as Link's eyes returned to the statue. He was getting to be rather spacey lately. "Let's sit down, I need to have a talk with you." She sat down on an empty bench and patted to the spot next to her. 

Link sat down, never taking his eyes off the statue. It was almost as if he _needed_ to look at it, to know that it was simply a statue.

"Your grades have been slipping, Link… not just with me. My colleague says you haven't turned in any of your research papers." She watched carefully as Link suddenly retreated into his shell, blushing brightly and forcing himself to look away.

"I know… They're done… I've just been busy…"

"With what?" Mrs. Jansen stared at him, knowing full and well that she could stare a student into a catatonic stupor if need be.

"Other things…" Link looked away, not as his teacher, not at the statue. Either one would rip apart his soul. "I'd prefer not to talk about it."

Mrs. Jansen simply nodded, knowing not to press a student. There was a brief pause as Link began to wok on his sketch, but she continued to speak anyway. "If I'm not mistaken, Link, you need this credit to keep your scholarship." She paused and felt the air tense painfully around the young man. He was obviously worried about failing. "This will be a good project to bring your grades up." She stopped and glanced at his page, curious about his work. "She's sad?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jansen…" He jumped out of his reverie and pulled the sketchbook into his chest, feeling quite ridiculous at this point. "I was at work until late last evening and I'm just a little out of it… but I promise I'll work hard the rest of the semester." He began to sketch purposefully, appearing as though he didn't want to talk to his professor anymore, which he didn't. She was a little too nosey for her own good.

'She _does _look… _sad_…' Link looked up at the pleasant face of the statue and realized, _painfully,_ that the woman was sad. Bereft. Empty. Crying violently. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her and let her know that everything would be fine, that she would be safe and protected. He shook his head and turned back to his page. It was a silly thought, and he needed to get it out of his head. After all, wasn't she _just_ a statue.

'Midna…' he sighed slightly. 'What a funny name.' He looked up at her again and felt his heart grow strangely warm. A feeling he hadn't felt since… since his mother passed away several years ago. He was always kind, polite, genuine, but rarely did he open himself to love. Rarely did he let anyone into his heart. But a silly statue made his whole body blush with anticipation, as if he knew something amazing would happen in her presence.

'I wonder what her name means… This is ridiculous. It's just a statue.' He tried to turn away but there was something emanating from every nerve in him, that this woman was not _just_ a statue, but something more. Something he should know and remember and embrace. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed again, feeling suddenly confused and torn between two things. He shook his head and went back to his book.

Not surprisingly, Link sat there for hours, his sketchbook filling slowly with her weeping face. He stayed after his class left, through lunch, and after the sun had gone down. He sat there and stared at her, drew her, animated her into existence in his mind. He was entranced by something so simple, so pure, so… true.

"Museum's closing soon, boy…" Link started and looked up at the face of a security guard and nodded. "You've got to leave. You can always come back tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Link gathered his pencils and paper slowly, waiting for the guard to leave the room. He walked up to the statue and sighed. "Who are you? Why do you torment me?" He looked up into her melancholy face, the one only he saw and touched her foot gently, as if promising her something private and wonderful.

"Tomorrow…" He whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow." Smiling softly, he turned around and began to leave, wondering whether he _would_ see her again. His world, however, came to a screeching halt when he heard an audible gasp from behind him; as if someone had been holding their breath under water and had just come up for air.

Link stopped, impossibly still and afraid to turn around. His heart pounded against his ribs and his stomach was turning inside out. He was aware that strange things always happened around him. People knew his name when he had never met them, he had never broken a single thing in his life, and his reflexes were strangely fast. But what he was considering now was…

"Link?"

He turned around and stared into fire red eyes.

"Impossible…"

"LINK!" The door slammed open and Lanna stood there, her face flushed with worry. Link looked up, startled by her intrusion, and slightly frightened by her approach. "Good, goddesses, Link! Have you been here all night?"

Link quickly shoved his parchment underneath all the letters, trying to hide a blatant blush starting to cross his face. "I'm sorry, Lanna. I couldn't sleep. I came here to read and I must have lost track of time." He looked out at the rising sun and felt his heart suddenly sink into his stomach. Was he late to his own coronation? He looked at Lanna, whose every hair was in perfect place, dressed flawlessly, and glaring at him as if he were the devil himself.

"You're _late!_" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out from behind the desk – rather painfully. "I've been looking for you in all your usual spots, but it the library! Honestly Link, if I didn't hear that silly quill you'd still be in there and missing your own coronation!"

"That wasn't my intention, you know." He watched, smiling, as his little spitfire dragged him down the hall and into their chambers. As dominating and stressed as she could be, Lanna 

was still a sweet woman, and every part of his heart. How had he managed to find her in the midst of the chaos around him? "It was an accident."

"I know you're giving me the look of a sick puppy, and I won't have it!" She didn't turn around, but stomped her foot slightly.

"Why not?" Link asked coyly. "It usually works."

Lanna finally turned and glared at him before throwing thir chamber door open and tossing his body into the capable hands of his servants. "Thirty minutes!" She told them, starting out the door. "He's got thirty minutes before her needs to be in the Grand Hall with a crown on his head or I wear I'll cook him live!" She stopped quickly in the mirror and checked her reflection before heading for the hall again.

"Lanna!" Link called out suddenly, peeling off his night clothes. Lanna stopped and looked at him with a mixture of confusion, surprise and mild curiosity. There was a strange silence as he approached her and before he spoke. "I love you."

The blush he had fallen in love with worked its way up Lanna's neck, and in the midst of all the distraction and chaos, her temper faded and she smiled at him. "I love you too."

"I'll be down in a few minutes… I promise."

Lanna nodded and headed out the door, trying to hide the blush her husband always evoked. She started down the hall at a slower pace than normal, letting her mind slowly wander through the years, as it often did when he said those words to her. Few royal families were as lucky as hers. Daughters were looked on simply as tools for political gain: whose son has a big plot of land I can marry my daughter to? Her own father had thought that way. It just so happened that Hyrule was the most desirable kingdom in the entire nation. So it seemed that her father couldn't _wait_ to push her out the door.

But Link… well, his mother had always taught him that love, above all other things, was the most important piece of life. It was just as essential as air, food, and water. He loved her; told her constantly that he loved her; showed her every day how much his heart still needed hers. Even though she was swollen with child and often looked unkempt and disorganized, his heart still beat for her alone.

She blushed again, feeling very much the same as a silly school girl.

_AN: So in my own happy mind I had Midna out of this world by now… as you can see, she's still there. I had a conflict of interest as I realized I wanted to get this chapter out as quickly as possible, as I will be leaving for the weekend. (Gentlemen, when you grow up, for the love of all things good, please become involved in your children's lives. It's because of slacker dads that I don't have a male chaperone for the youth retreat… so who has to watch the boys? Me. And I am not happy about it.) I'm off my soapbox now. _

_Anyway, I assume Midna will have moved onto the next world by the end of the next chapter… hopefully (I'm just making this up as I go). And the world after this one is a doosy. Har har._

_Leave a review, it fixes problems and makes later chapters better. I heart you!_


	4. Pygmalion Part Three

**Across the Universe**

Chapter Three:

_Pygmalion – Part Three_

Link fidgeted during the ceremony, during the celebratory ball, and even during dinner. His eyes kept darting to the clock and back again. In fact, he barely answered when someone asked him what he was going to do for his first piece of legislation; he muttered something about honoring heroes and then returned to his plate, blushing. Lanna, in spite of her best efforts to continue smiling, was becoming increasingly irritated with him. How could he be so ridiculous and silly when he had just been crowned _king_ of Hyrule? Whatever had happened to him last night had affected him deeply and Lanna was worried he had gotten himself in far too deep. What could have possessed his soul so greatly?

"Link?" She touched his arm and he glanced back at her, blushing about the fact that his gaze had been anywhere but at the table. She sighed deeply but held her sharp tongue. "Is everything all right? You've been staring at the clock for the last hour."

"I'm sorry… I guess I'm not feeling very well." Link rubbed his forehead, feeling ashamed at his behavior. It wasn't like him to ignore protocol and his guests, but it felt as though that unique story had taken hold of his heart and refused to let him exist peacefully until it was finished. "My mind has just been other places, Lanna… I…" He looked at the clock again, wondering if he could make a good enough excuse to leave the table early.

"I'm sorry, Lanna, but there's something I need to finish." He stood up abruptly and bid everyone farewell, shocking all of the guests and his wife, but not his mother.

She knew where he has headed to and what he intended to do. He'd been there all night pouring over the old letters and stories that had been told to her over the years. They seemed so important to him. She smiled at her son's retreating form and reached out to press her hand to her daughter-in-law's arm. "Lanna, do no worry about Link." Zelda smiled a thinning smile as Lanna turned to her, eyes confused and a little sad. "He will be in the library for quite some time these next few weeks, finishing something I only dreamed about…"

Lanna only nodded and turned to the prince next to her to begin conversation.

As Link climbed the stairs, the sounds of the celebration faded away into silence, and the library seemed an entire world away; as if he had found his own, hidden universe of long-forgotten stories and ages papers. The letters and his own notes were still scattered around the enormous desk, exactly as they had been left the night before. He took a deep breath and plopped down in the chair, determined to finish the story tonight with no interruptions… he had made a promise to Sir Link and Midna. He needed to finish the story while Sir Link still had time to read it.

)O(

"What in the hell is going on here!" Link stepped away from the thin, red-headed woman who stood in front of him. He stared blankly at her and then glanced up at the identical statue. What had he done? _How_ had he done it? All he did was touch the statue… was he so cursed that all kinds of bizarre things happened in his wake?

Midna stood silently and watched a whole slew of emotions fly across his face, as silence blanketed them both. The lights from other rooms clicked off and the sound of the security guard's boots came increasingly closer. Still, no words were uttered for minutes and the strange tension grew and tangled into an indecipherable spider's web. It was Midna who finally broke the surreal feeling between the couple.

"Link… are you real?" Her voice was like a choir of melancholy chimes, and Link found he wanted to hear them again, in spite of himself. He shook his head at the irrational thought and grabbed his bag, desperately wanting to get away from the strange woman who haunted his sketch book and had somehow managed to hide in the darkest places of his soul.

"Am _I_ real!?" He held up his hands in defense, hoping he could ward her off. "_You're_ a freakin' statue, for Christ's sake! I'm not quite sure what's real at this point!" Link backed up slightly, trying to put distance between their bodies. Whatever this person was, he wanted nothing to do with her, but he got the distinct feeling she wanted everything to do with him.

Midna's eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her shapely hips, glaring daggers at him. "You don't have to be rude, you know."

"_You're a statue!_ How am I supposed to react?"

"Not by being rude!"

They continued to glare at each other for a while longer, each one wondering what to do next. How could something so bizarre happen? And what _exactly_ were they supposed to do about it? Midna wanted to yank her hair out; did he have to be so frustrating? Did he have to be so rude? It's not like she woke up in this form of her own accord; she just wanted some understanding. Link, on the other hand, feared for his life at this point. What god had he pissed off so much that he had to deal with this woman, who was _supposed_ to be a statue, but was in fact _actual?_

"I'm sorry, boy." The security guard's voice echoed through the empty hall again. Both Link and Midna gave a start and looked at the man with blank faces. It was as if they were asking him 'what are we going to do now?' The guard seemed completely unconcerned and jerked his thumb toward the door. "But you and your girlfriend are going to have to leave now."

Link's face turned a vibrant shade of red. "She's not my-"

"Thank you sir, we'll leave right away." The strange woman reached out and grabbed his hand, dragging him away. "Come now, Link. It's time to go home."

"I'm _not_ taking you to my home." He hissed out under his breath. His hand managed to grab hold of his bag as the woman led him to the entrance; like she knew where she was going. He glared at her again, feeling frustrated beyond all reason. "I don't even know who or _what_ you are."

"Your girlfriend, apparently." She snapped sarcastically. She let go of Link's arm and he righted himself, following the stranger out the main door and into the unknown.

"I have a girlfriend, and she's not you."

"Oh _really_," Midna cocked an eyebrow as if she didn't believe him. "What's her name?" The doors slammed and locked behind them, and they found their selves standing in the middle of a heavy down-pour, looking very much like two lovers in a spat.

"Zelda." The sound of the name made Link's heart feel suddenly empty, as if that name wasn't the one that should be falling from his mouth. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to ward off an oncoming headache.

What was he _doing_? This woman had appeared from seemingly nowhere and now he was… attached to her? Link wasn't quite sure if he had just spent too much time mulling over her story in his head or what, but he had suddenly felt some undeniable bond to her. And now… now he wanted to strengthen that bond. He watched as several colors played across the strange woman's face.

"Well, I hope you're very happy then!" Midna, in spite of her best efforts to control her raging temper, stamped her foot into a puddle and splashed dirty water everywhere. Link glared at her and thought to turn around and leave her on the street, but he was too nice. And leaving this girl by herself in a place she obviously didn't understand was the worst of sentences. Besides, he was mildly intrigued by her.

Only mildly.

"What is your _problem_? I don't even _know_ you or where you came from, so why are you being so… _bitchy_?" He crossed his arms across his chest. "My girlfriend and I are very happy." Well, that was a lie. In actuality, they had gotten into a huge fight two weeks before and Link hadn't spoken to her since. He assumed she'd moved on, especially since she returned her key to his apartment. For some reason though, he felt as though he had to make up a story to prove himself… or to get rid of her. He wasn't quite sure which.

"I don't know what that word means, but I'm sure it's something rude."

"This is insane!" Link threw his hands up in the air. "I'm arguing with a _statue_."

"I'm _real_."

"That's what you keep telling me." Link took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, which were burning from fire at this point. Even if she was _just a statue_, what harm would come from letting her stay? After all, he couldn't leave her here alone. It wouldn't be right; it wouldn't be safe. "One night. That's it." He dropped his bag on the ground and rifled around for an umbrella. As if it would help any by now. "Tomorrow morning you have to find your own way home."

Midna held back a spit of angry laughter, and in the tension, his eyes met hers. He watched her carefully, as if waiting for this moment to suddenly shatter into a million painful pieces. His body seemed to tremble under the weight of what he just said, and his soul shifted into another place in the heavens.

"Home, Link? _Home_?" There were tears in her eyes. Link wasn't sure how he could tell in the rain, but he knew. He knew she was crying with every inch of her body and all of her soul. "I popped out of a statue like some kind of bastard child. What _home_ do I have? I'm in some place I don't understand; some place I don't even _know_." She turned away from him and stared at the wet pavement, as if looking for guidance. "And the only thing I'm aware of is that I know _you_. I don't know _how_, but I know I know you." Her eyes met his again, and they flashed with fire. "I _know_ you. My soul knows you…"

Link's breath caught in his throat and he stood up, suddenly forgetting about the rain that soaked them both. Their eyes met, and for the first time in the past half hour, they didn't argue. They didn't glare. They just watched. The world around him melted into nothing but the two of them and the rain. He felt his heart slam repeatedly against his chest, and against all normal reasoning, he reached out and drew her slight body into his arms.

"I… Link?" Midna clung to his soaked sweater, wishing she could burrow into the safety of his embrace. His body felt warm, soft, willing to hold her in the rain forever. The kind of embrace she always dreamed he had. Without warning, another storm of sobs wracked her body again.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" he whispered these words into her hair, as if begging her for forgiveness. Holding her seemingly tiny body in his arms made all the animosity between them evaporate into nothingness; the cruel words seemed like dark shadows that no longer existed. "I didn't mean to hurt you… I didn't mean to say those things." He breathed in her scent deep; it was a strange mixture of darkness and fresh, mountain rain. It brought up images of adventure and fantasy, though he didn't know why. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

He held her tightly as they walked to the subway, to his apartment building, and even in the hallway. He didn't want to let her go, and he knew she felt the same way. There was an emptiness that the other filled; a hole that seemed nonexistent when they touched. The world shifted into the place it should have been and every worry seemed to fade. He glanced at her briefly, but Link found it hard to look into her eyes, because he could only see a strange fire that burned there; a fire he envied. He turned away and concentrated on unlocking the door.

"I'm sorry it's so small…" Link had never really been ashamed at his apartment before. It was tiny, but it was close to the subway, and it wasn't very expensive, as long as his roommate kept paying his half. He'd gone to France to "find himself", and Link preferred it if he stayed there. He was rather obnoxious anyway.

"It's nice…" Midna stepped inside, and Link watched carefully, feeling untouched strings in his heart suddenly twist. The apartment didn't seem so tiny anymore. It didn't even look remotely empty. "You keep it clean at least…" She turned and smiled at him softly, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

Link stepped forward and cupped her face, brushing her cheeks gently with his thumbs. "Don't cry, Midna… I don't think I could handle it if you cried again." He didn't understand why he felt so open with her. He had barely met this woman an hour ago, and yet he was telling her not to cry? That he cared for her? What was happening to him? He had barely told Zelda that he loved her, but now he was telling a complete stranger the same thing? Something unusual had taken root in his soul.

"You know my name." Midna said it more as a statement more than anything else. Link jerked slightly, as if being shaken from his thoughts. "I didn't think you knew my name." She pulled away softly; leaving Link feeling bereft and unable to speak. She had made herself comfortable by the window, watching the rain, saying nothing more. He moved carefully, as if not wanting to disturb the stoic angel, and sat next to her. There was a long pause. "You can't see the stars here, can you?"

"No." Link thought it was an odd question, but said nothing more.

"I love the stars."

"Mmm." A taxi drove by, followed by a bus. Link didn't notice anything except her surprised expression. She seemed to have calmed down greatly, as if the crying had worn her body and mind down into nothingness. She felt exhausted to him; weak beyond measure and frail as a china doll. He reached out and let a hand cover hers, reveling in the strangeness of emotion between them. What _was_ she?

"This place is strange." She pressed a finger to the glass, tracing the path of the bus. "I've never seen a carriage move without a horse before."

"Where are you from?" Link had to ask, even though he could feel her exhaustion taking root of her body. He had to learn more about her. If he didn't, he felt as though his soul would be drawn into hers and lost forever. "How do you know my name?"

"How do you know mine?" She cocked her head to the side with a slight smile. "I came from a place called Twilight… and I thought I was going back there, but I somehow ended up here… the will of the Goddesses I guess…" Her body gently leaned up against his, as if it was too tired to hold its own weight anymore. "I'm tired."

Link nodded, feeling his own muscles creak with exhaustion. Her words didn't seem to effect him very much, but something told him he should hold on to them forever. "I understand. You can have my bed, Midna… I'll wake you in the morning." He picked her up and laid her gently in his bed, in spite of her incoherent protests. "Sleep. We'll finish this tomorrow…"

"Mmm… good night, Link." She forced a small smile at him, and Link had no choice. There was a ringing in his hears and a pounding in his head. Against all his better judgment, he leaned down and kissed her gently, wishing her a good night with everything but words.

)O(

I hope I fixed the scene change problem. I usually use three dashes, because it's less obnoxious than all those asterisks and hearts made by threes and carrots (those are really annoying to anyone who uses them) but ffnet keeps taking them out. So I used "phases of the moon" or whatever bullshit you wanna call it.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next should be out soon. Since I'm a college graduate and all (woo-hoo I did it. Now it's on to a university… damn. Empty purse)


End file.
